Miley Cyrus Creates a Soft Pop Moment Through "End of the World"

Apr 7

Miley Cyrus has once again proven her knack for reinvention with her latest single, “End of the World,” released on April 3, 2025. The track, a standout from her upcoming ninth studio album Something Beautiful (due May 30 via Columbia Records), blends shimmering pop skills with a defiant, escapist spirit influenced by softer band soundscapes.

Miley Cyrus, “End of the World” | Columbia Records

Co-written and co-produced with an eclectic team—including Alvvays’ Molly Rankin and Alec O’Hanley, alongside Shawn Everett, Michael Pollack, Jonathan Rado, and Maxx Morando—the song pulses with a vibrant energy that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking. It’s the third preview of the album, following “Prelude” and the title track, and it’s already carving out a unique space in Cyrus’s recognizable discography.

“End of the World” is an anthem for living in the moment, even as chaos looms. Lyrics like “Let’s pretend it’s not the end of the world / The sky is falling, falling like a comet now” capture a sense of urgency wrapped in a dreamy, danceable sheen. It’s a thematic thread that echoes her 2017 hit “Malibu,” though this time with a sharper, more cinematic edge. The accompanying video, co-directed by Cyrus with Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter, amplifies this hypnotic vibe. Dressed in a fringed emerald Mugler gown, she commands a smoky stage, her movements sultry yet deliberate, bathed in golden light that evokes ‘80s glamour.

The song’s production sparkles with layered guitars and a driving beat, hinting at the “pop opera” ambition she’s teased for Something Beautiful, a project paired with a feature-length film set for June. Cyrus’s recent Grammy wins for “Flowers” off 2023’s Endless Summer Vacation (for both Best Pop Solo Performance and Record of the Year) underscore her hot streak. Yet “End of the World” feels like a leap beyond, merging her genre-hopping past with a theatrical flair.

While some fans on social media lament its sleeper status, calling it “magical” and “nostalgic,” its slow burn could mirror “Flowers’” ascent. With Something Beautiful promising 13 tracks and a visual odyssey, Cyrus is crafting a narrative that’s as much about defiance as it is about dazzle—a fitting move for an artist who thrives on rewriting her own rules.